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Electric Circuit.

Nb. 242,343. Patented May 31,1881.

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No. 242,343. Patented May 31,1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORAZIO LUGO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,343, dated May 31, 1881.

Application filed April 10, 1881.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ORAZIOLUGO, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Circuits, of which the following is a specification.

In an application for Letters Patent of the United States, filed by me February 19, 1881, patented April 26, 1881, as No. 240,599, I have shown and described an electric telegraphic and telephonic conductor constructed in the form of a solenoid. This solenoid is shown as consisting of a direct insulated conductor passing longitudinally through the mathematical axis of a helical conductor or conductors, also insulated.

In another application for Letters Patent filed by me February 1, 1881,patented April, 26,1881, as No. 240,600, I have shown, described, and claimed a method of transmit ting electrical pulsations through such a circuit.

My present invention is based upon the in ventions hereinbefore referred to, and constitutes an improvement thereon.

It consists in anovel organization of the conductors constituting said circuit, whereby the interferences arising from action and reaction upon each other of derived or induced currents, and the retardation and prolongation of signals arising therefrom are more perfectly prevented.

The subject-matter claimed is specifically designated in the claims at the end of this specification.

When a direct anda return conductor are combined together in the form of a single sole- 'noid, it is obvious that the total length and resistance of the conductor which constitutes the helical portion of the solenoid will be much greater than that of the portion forming the axial conductor. This inequality in the resistance of the two parts of the circuit is objectionable. I have heretofore devised two methods of construction whereby this difficulty is diminished or avoided. The first consists in making the helical conductor of a thicker wire than the axial conductor, and consequently of less resistance per unit of length; but this construction may be found objectionable for (No model.)

mechanical reasons. The second method consists in forming the helical conductor of two or more equal wires laid parallel to each other in a spiral around the axial conductor, and afterward joining their extremities in multiple are, so that they constitute in effect a single conductor. This construction is not open to the mechanical objections incident to the first method, but, on the other hand, it may involve increased complexity, greater cost of construction, and greater liability to injury. In both these methods of construction, moreover, there exists a certain degree of inductive action and reaction between the currents flowing in opposite directions through the direct and the return conductor. This is, however, so small as to he inappreciable except upon circuits of considerable length, and I have found it to be due to the fact that the helical conductor of a solenoid, from the nature of the case, cannot be placed perpendicular to the axial conductor, but must be more or less inclined thereto. Now, it is well known that the greatest inductive reaction between two conductors takes place when they are parallel to each other, and that no inductive reaction whatever can take place between the two conductors at right angles to each other. I have found that the amount of this inductive reaction is in all cases in proportion to the cosine of the angle between the conductors.

My present invention is designed to overcome the objections hereinbefore referred to and it consists, speaking generally, in forming the direct and return conductors into a compound solenoid consisting of two or more simple solenoids joined together in series and cross-connected at their junctions. I am thus enabled to construct a conducting-circuit in which the total resistance of the direct and return conductor is substantially the same, while at the same time they may be constructed of wire of similar thickness. Certain other advantages in the conduction of the currents also arise in connection with the organization, which advantages will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a portion of a conducting-circuit embodying my improvements. Fi 2 illustrates the manner in which the same may be arranged for use with the ordinary telegraphic instruments. Fig. 3 shows the same as adapted for use in connection with speaking-telephones. Fig. 4 shows the manner in which my invention may be applied to circuits employed for electric lightin Fig. 5 shows an application of the same circuit for conveying or transferring electric power. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of one form of a submarine or subterranean cable containing three independent circuits embodying my invention, and which may be used for either or all the purposes hereinbefore mentioned.

The organization of my improved conductor will be best understood by reference to Fig. 1, in which one conductor, which may be considered as the direct'conductor, is shown at A A, and the other or return conductor at B B, the two conductors being assumed to be united at their opposite ends, so as to form a complete electric circuit. Each conductor is enveloped in an insulating coating of guttapercha or other suitable dielectric, a a and I) b. The direct and return conductors together form a number of solenoids, as shown at U, D, E, and F, which solenoids are united together at their ends, so as to form a continuous series. For example, the solenoid G is formed by coiling the insulated conductor B closely into a helix surrounding theinsulated conductor A hence A is,in this instance, the axial and B the heli cal conductor. In the next solenoid of the series, as shown at D, this arrangement is reversed in consequence of the manner in which the conductors areinterchanged or cross-connected, 13 now becoming the axial conductor and A the helical conductor. The next solenoid, E, in the series is arranged in the same manner as O, and in like manner F is similar to D. Thus it is to be understood that the entire circuit, whatever may be its length, is formed of a series of solenoids joined together, in the manner described, the axial conductor of each solenoid being joined to the helical conductor of its neighbor on each side, and vice versa. The direction in which the electric currents flow through the conductors A and B are indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. These several elementary solenoids, which are afterward joined together to form the complete conductor, as described, may be ofany convenient length. In practice it will ordinarily be found advantageous to construct them of the length in which it is practically convenient to manufacture insulated wires before joining them up into a long cable. It is preferable that the several solenoids of the series be of substantially equal length.

Some of the advantages which result from the improved organization of conductors which Ihave described may be enumerated as follows:

First, the axes of the two conductors are coincident throughout the length of the circuit, and hence the mean distance of each conductor from all surrounding objects of what ever nature must necessarily be the same. It follows from this that any inductive disturbance which tends to be set up in any surrounding object by the influence of the direct current traversing one conductor will be effectually counteracted by the influence of the return current traversing the other conductor in the opposite direction, and thus no inductive charge can be produced to react on the conductors.

Second, the two conductors may conveniently be made of the same thickness and of the same resistance per unit of their respective lengths.

Third, the total resistance of the direct and the return conductor between one terminal sta tion and the other are substantially equal.

Fourth, the inductive actions and reactions which tend to manifest themselves between the direct and the return currents in consequence of the greater or less approach to parallelism between the helical and the axial conductors are neutralized and eliminated.

All so-callcd insulating substances possess in some degree the property of conducting electric currents. Even gutta-percha, which is ordinarily employed for the insulatin g-coatin g of submarine conductors, is capable of conducting electricity to an extent which may be deflnitely measured, although that resistance is enormously great in comparison with that of the conductor which it incloses. It follows from this fact that when an electric currentis transmitted through a conducting-wire coated with gutta-percha and surrounded by a con ductor, such as water or the earth or the armor of a cable, that a portion of the current flows directly through the mass of insulating-coating to the water or other external conducting medium. \Vhen such a current begins to flow through the insulating-coating, it gradually and rapidly diminishes in strength, as if the resistance of the dielectricincreased under the influence of the current. This apparent increase in resistance, however, is not caused by an actual resistance, for when the original eurrent ceases the dielectric orinsulating coating sends back into the conductor a gradually-decreasing current in the opposite direction, and this current is of such magnitude and lasts for such a time as to return to the conductor that portion of the electricity which had at first apparently flowed through the dielectric in excess of the quantity which would have passed in the same time througha constantresistance equal to the final resistance. The effect of this action is to retard the discharge of the electricity from the cable at the termination of each signal, for during the transmission of the current required to produce a signal at the distant station, the dielectric becomes charged by absorption in the manner hereinbefore stated, and after the current has ceased it sends backmost of the electricity which has been thus absorbed, and thus maintains an extra current in the conductor after the proper IIO termination of the signal, which tends to obliterate theinterval between the said signal and the next succeeding one.

It will be observed that whatever may be the effect which is produced upon or within the dielectric surrounding the conductor by a current in one of the elementary solenoids of which my conductor is made up, equal and opposite effects will necessarily be produced upon the surrounding dielectric by the current in the next adjacent solenoid of the series. Hence if the dielectric be continuous, as in the case of the insulating coating of a submarine or subterranean telegraph, these effects of the current will necessarily tend to neutralize instead of re-enforcing each other and causing their several effects to accumulate as the length of the circuit is increased. It follows from this that any reaction on the part of the dielectric upon the current traversing the insulated eonductor will also be of an opposite character in each alternate section, and these several actions will in like manner tend to neutralize each other and not to accumulate.

In Fig. 2 I have shown my improved conductor as applied to an ordinary commercialtelegraph circuit, being provided at its terminals with suitable batteries E and E, and having a key, K, a receiving-instrument, R, at one terminal station, akey, K, and a receiving-instrument, R, at an intermediate or way station and a key, K and a recciving-instrument, R at the remaining terminal station. I prefer to arrange the apparatus at the intermediate station in the manner shown in the figure, the key being in the direct circuit and the sounder in the return-circuit, or vice versa.

Fig. 3 shows a series of receiving and transmittin g telephones for the transmission ot'articulate and other sounds, the arrangement of which is the same in principle, T, T, and T being the telephonic transmitters, and z, t, and t the telephonic receivers.

Fig. 4 represents the application of my invention to an electric circuitfor the purpose of electric illumination. Gr represents the dy namoelectric generator, the positive pole of which is attached to the direct conductor, and the negative pole to the return-conductor, and this arrangement may be reversed, the particular arrangement in this respect being immaterial. The said generator has its opposite poles united by a shunt-conductor, s, with an adj ustable rheostat, a, inserted therein in the manner and for the purpose more fully set forth in my former Letters Patent Nos. 235,687 and 235,688, granted December 21, 1880, to which reference is had. I have shown two electric lamps, L and L, which may be of any suitable construction and may be arranged either in series or in multiple are, which is the plan represented in the drawings, the lamp L being placed in a cross-connection between the direct and the return conductor, as shown in the drawings. I have represented this lamp as being placed between the two solenoids.

Fig. 5 represents a dynamo-electric machine arranged in the same manner in connection with my improved circuit for the transmission ofmechanieal power to a distance. The remote terminals of the direct and the return conductor are connected, as shown, to the terminals of an electro-magnet engine or motor, M.

The cross-section in Fig. 6 represents three of my improved conductors organized in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1, which are embodied in a cylindrical mass of non-conducting material and inelosed within an armored or other protecting envelope, WV. These several conductors may be used for any or all of the purposes hereinbetore set forth.

I claim as my invention 1. The electric conductor hcreinbefore set forth, consisting of two or more solenoids connected together in series, as described, and having the helical conductor of each solenoid joined to the axial conductor of the next solenoid in series, in each direction, and vice versa.

2. The electric conductor hereinbefore set forth, consisting of a series of solenoids in which each terminal of the series has one end of its axial conductor joined to its own helical conductor and the other end to the helical conductor of the next solenoid in the series.

3. An electric circuit consisting of a direct and a return conductor in the form of a compound solenoid, constructed in the manner hereinbefore set forth, so that each conductor becomes alternately the helical and axial conductor thereof.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of April, A. D. 1881.

ORAZIO LUGO.

Witnesses:

FRANK L. POPE, MILLER (J. EARL. 

